Beervana 2010

Beervana 2010 at last has come to an end. Four sessions across two days - 12-4 & 5-9 both Saturday and Sunday. Over 40 brewers to chat with and discuss their techniques. Over 170 different NZ craft beers to taste. Some phenomenal, some very drinkable, some rubbish. There were also informative sessions throughout - a beer and food matching session with Neil Miller (beer writer and someone I'm lucky enough to know) and Martin Bosley (top NZ chef), a talk by Sam of Dogfish Brewery about how he got started, a beer and cheese matching, etc.

I volunteered the first session which was fun. While I knew some of the brewers already, I met a lot more. Got to help them get setup, get pouring and generally keep them going throughout. The rest of the time I was to be pouring for the Yeastie Boys and 8 Wired Brewing at the Beer NZ booth. Unfortunately, they ended up having way too many folks to help. Even Stu (brewer for the Yeastie Boys) couldn't make it behind the booth. Fortunately, that meant I spent most of the rest of the sessions tasting. Ran into lots of friends and made some new ones.

Friday night some new friends came back to mine for a few beverages. The last one left my place at 8:30 Saturday morning. Gotta love the Irish. Of course, I love them more when they aren't selfish lovers, but that's another story for another time.

As you can imagine, Saturday was a long day. I finally had to sneak away in the last session for a nana nap. I was too exhausted to continue. You know when you get that cold clammy sweat going? Yeah, time to give myself a break. Felt like a champ after my nap and headed back. We finished cleaning up a bit after 10pm. Everyone kept asking me to go out for a few drinks after. For once in my life I made the smart decision and decided to go home instead. So I stopped by the pub to say farewell to everyone and then went home. Grabbed some food, took a hot bath and then went to bed. Slept for about 11 hours which was beautiful.

Woke this morning and went to my favourite coffee shop. Managed to get all but four clues in the crossword which was pretty satisfying. Have spent the rest of the day on the couch watching dvds. Is 8pm too early to go to bed? :-)

Time to recover before next year's Beervana.

This moment of pleasant exhaustion was brought to you by the letter B and the number 40.

I Have a New Claim to Fame!!

Sorry to gush, but I am super excited. For those who don't know, 8 Wired Brewing is a craft beer maker based down in Marlborough (the South Island for those non-Kiwis). The brewer, Soren, (yes, we're on a first name basis because that's how I roll - ha!) recently brewed a new beer. He created an Amber/Red Ale, but didn't know what to call the new brew. He started a wee competition to see who could come up with the best name for his new beer. (story here: http://8wired.blogspot.com/2010/04/spur-of-moment-beer-spur-of-moment-blog.html) I spent about 2 minutes thinking of options and threw out a few suggestions.

Today they announced the winner - yours truly!!!!! No, really, I did! Proof here: http://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=120842687945440&id=157213909512 I never thought I'd actually name a beer that is going out to market. So, keep your eyes peeled for some 8 Wired "Red Dwarf" on the shelves of your favourite bottle store.

I never had this on my "Things to do before I die" list, but I'm now adding it and crossing it off. :-)

This moment of total awesomeness was brought to you by the letter A and the number 32.

Letting Go

Today I went to the water to weep. Sometimes I go to the water to laugh, to shout, to vent my anger and frustration. Today I went to weep. My emotions are conflicted and the only current solution is to cry. To cry and to let go instead of the usual cry and hold on. It's time for that pattern to change. A recent quote I came across was, "Letting go is love. Holding on is attachment."

I got an email from K today (William's partner). She asked if I had any plans to come home this year as their wedding reception is going to be in late August. The email was incredibly kind and thoughtful. I knew they had talked about getting married. I didn't know it was moving ahead.

It seems odd to have heard it from her and not Will. I know he's away at a retreat, but it still seems strange. It's weird he hadn't told me before. I am truly thrilled for them. It's wonderful they are getting married. Yet, I find myself sad and wistful at the same time. Not the kind of heart hurting, can't breathe sadness. Just...sadness. I guess it truly is the end of any hope I held onto for the two of us. The end of an era in a way. The end of our romantic love and any possibility of that blossoming. While I wouldn't change the work we have done together the past three years for anything, it's hard to say goodbye to that kind of connection. While that connection never goes away, I think it now shifts instead.

I'm truly grateful for knowing I can have that kind of connection with someone. That is awesome! Now I just need to find it with someone else. To do that, I need to let go of this one. I just need to cry it out...cry it all out and send it off into Mother Ocean, off into the air...to set it free.

Tonight I took a hot bath and lit three "Miracle" candles given to me by a dear friend several years ago. I did my own ritual and let of go of my attachments, not just to Will, but all those things I have held onto for too long - people, fears, my weight which I have hidden behind for years, all of it.

Letting go is love. Holding on is attachment. I choose to no longer be attached, but I weep for the loss.

This moment of conflict was brought to you by the letter L and the number 3.

Shiny Toy Guns

Today's mood is best described using someone else's words:

Turn to Real Life by Shiny Toy Guns:

Eyes are magic
See right through me
Makes me feel like
A girl in a fantasy
Turned to real life
Stars in the morning
Makes me feel like
A girl in a fantasy
Turned to real life...

Now i'm glowing
Like a sunset
In the window
Of my dreams...
That turned to real life
I'll never forget when
For the first time--
A girl in a fantasy
Turned to real life

Chorus
Makes me feel like
A girl in a fantasy
Turned to real life
I'm a believer
For the first time
I can be beautiful
A girl in a fantasy
Turned to real life

Your fingers running
Over my body
Makes me feel like
A silver angel
Under the moonlight
Right beside me
Makes me feel like
A girl in a fantasy
Turned to real life...

This moment was brought to you by the letter B and the number 2.

Made of win!

I went rock climbing tonight for the first time in a year and a half. It was amazing. I sucked, but it was amazing. It felt so good to be back up on the wall again. The aching hands, the blown out forearms - oh how I missed thee!

In other news, have now had 3 dates (with the same boy!) and a 4th one tentatively planned next week. I'm pretty sure that's a new record down here. It's different this time - I'm just completely relaxed about it all - no freak outs, no wondering if he's going to ring, no wondering what this may or may not be...just enjoying the ride. Such a nice place to be. I've cleared out a lot of old thought patterns/habits/etc from my brain recently. I feel like I have all this free space now and I'm liking being in that space. Now I get to fill it with positive things instead of negatives.

All in all, life is good and I am very blessed.

This moment of joy was brought to you by the letter R and the number 1.5

I'm an Auntie Again!

I proudly announce the next installment of Auntie Anna:

Samuel Jack was born 17 December, 8lbs 12 oz, 22" long. Mom and baby are doing well. Saw the cutest pictures today of his 3 older siblings taking turns holding him. I only wish I could meet him at Christmas. :-(

So excited to be Auntie Anna to another!

This moment of joy was brought to you by the letter N and the number 4.

So excited!!

The Sparkle Stallion arrives for a visit in less than 24 hours!! So excited I feel like Tigger I'm bouncing so much.

A bad photo of him after his fire conclave performance at Burning Man:



Yay for friends visiting!!

This moment of joy was brought to you by the letter S and the number 1.